Rosemary Dawn
by Sage1899
Summary: She was the most beautiful baby Kaylee had ever seen. River, however, had compared her to one a them apple core dolls that had ancient wrinkled faces. Written for fffriday challenge 107 MalZoe POST BDM


**Title:** Rosemary Dawn

**Author:****sage1899**aka lj user"sagey1899"

**Fandom:** Firefly

**Characters:** Mal, Zoe, Kaylee, River, Simon, Jayne

**Pairings:** Mal/Zoe, Zoe/Wash mentioned

**Summary:** _She was the most beautiful baby Kaylee had ever seen. River, however, had compared her to one a them apple core dolls that had ancient wrinkled faces. _

**Spoilers:** BMD

**Disclaimer:** They belong to Joss and Co. I just play with them when I'm bored or can't sleep. Completely a labor of love.

**A/N:** Written for lj comm"fffriday" 's challenge #107 100-1000 words about rosemary. THIS VERSION IS LONGER THAN THE ONE POSTED ON lj comm "ffffriday"

**Feedback is my anti-drug so please review** :)

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Mal paced back and forth like a caged tiger outside the hotel room, as he turned on his heel and paced back the opposite direction, his boots thudded loudly on the wooden floor. Jayne sat next to River cleaning his nails with the tip of his huge huntin' knife. 

They'd gone planet side on Santo to deliver some passengers and cargo to one of the many luxurious resorts on the planet that had been the playground of the rich and beautiful before the war. It was s'posed to be easy. Legal. Not dangerous. However, things in their part of the 'verse rarely went according to plan. This was no exception.

Zoe had gone into labor in the middle of a job, a job she wasn't even on. A job she'd been ordered to stay behind in the hotel for so she could rest and be pampered, as was the right of a woman in the final weeks of pregnancy, or so Mal told her. She had stayed behind with River, Kaylee and Simon while Mal and Jayne went to conduct business. However, it was whilst relaxing, in the form of eating in one of the many buffet style restaurants, that the trouble started. Zoe had been getting up to get another plate of food, her pregnancy had been healthy and relatively easy on her, she was in amazing condition already and with the doting of everyone on the ship she'd eaten well and stayed -for the most part- out of harm's way. So when she doubled over, cried out and collapsed in a puddle of her own blood, everyone knew something was very, very wrong.

She'd been rushed to what passed as an infirmary in the resort. Simon wished they were at a hospital on one of the core planets where everything was completely sterile and he'd have every possible bit of technology he could want for monitoring her and the baby, or on Serenity, where at least he knew where everything was. But this was clean, if a bit under stocked in supplies for an emergency caesarean delivery.

Placenta-previa, that's what Simon called it. All Kaylee knew was that they'd nearly lost both Zoe and the baby from the sever hemorrhaging. Simon took the baby out quickly, Kaylee had cleaned her up, wrapped her snugly in two of the blankets someone had donated and had been clutching the little girl tightly to her chest ever since, while Simon worked to control Zoe's bleeding.

The child had skin like weak coffee with a lot of cream in it - lighter than Zoe's but darker than Wash's fair complexion. Her head was covered in soft, deep auburn curls. Her lips were full and pouty though not quite as full as her mother's. She was strong and big for being three weeks early, Kaylee couldn't imagine something that big coming out of her, she rubbed her gently swelling belly a bit nervously. She was the most beautiful baby Kaylee had ever seen. River, however, had compared her to one a them apple core dolls that had ancient wrinkled faces.

Thankfully, the baby slept most of the time, except when she was hungry. The same woman what brought the blankets also provided four tiny bottles of mother's milk, just in case... In case of what? Kaylee refused to think on it.

"Wa cao! What is takin' so gorram long?" Mal muttered as concern filled his eyes, the lines in his weathered face seemed deeper, harsher after the long night waiting and pacing. "Ain't nobody got that much blood in em. Can't Simon just hook one a us up to her and give her enough of our blood to keep her from dyin?" His chest held a powerful ache more intense than every wound he'd ever had put together. He couldn't lose her now. 'Sides it ain't right for a baby to be born into the 'verse with none of her blood kin there to meet her.

"Shouldn't use bad language in front of the baby," River shot Mal a reproving look. "Wash doesn't like it." Mal blinked at River who sat curled up in a chair, clutching her knees to her chest. "He's always with us. Always watching. He understands. Zoe and the baby need you. Never take his place, only stand in it for him. Luckiest girl with two daddy's."

Thankfully, before Mal could force his brain to working and reply to River the door opened and a very tired looking Simon came out into the makeshift waiting area. "She's stable and awake. She wants to see you and the baby." He informed Mal in the clinical voice he adopted when deep in the role of healer.

"Oh..." Mal nodded and turned to Kaylee as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I, umm...never held one that little before."

Kaylee smiled and stepped forward with the precious bundle. "Hold your arms like mine," he made the adjustments and she gently laid the baby in the cradle he'd formed. "Keep her head supported there and hold 'er close, she'll like hearin' yer heartbeat."

Mal did as instructed and cradled the little girl close to him. He trembled a little, more scared of anything happening to this treasured child than he'd ever been for himself in battle. "Hello, princess," he cooed at her when she opened huge blue eyes at him. He stared at the bright blue eyes a moment. "You got your daddy's eyes," he smiled softly. Tears misting his own. "Let's go see Mommy."

He stepped quietly into the room. It was darkened and Zoe lay motionless on the bed against the wall. She was pale and ashy against the stark white sheets, it tore at Mal's heart. "Oh, bao bei," he hurried to her side. "Zoe?" he whispered as he eased his way onto the bed next to her. "Zo?" He cradled the baby in one arm and smoothed the dark sweat dampened curls from her face and bent over to place a soft kiss on her forehead.

Zoe's eyes opened, just slightly wider than slits. "Mal?" Her voice was husky and barely over a whisper as it passed her pale cracked lips.

"Yeah, darlin'. It's me..." He smiled as tears welled in his eyes. "Got someone with a powerful desire to meet you."

He held the baby low so Zoe could see her. Zoe beamed the biggest grin he'd seen on her face since before Wash was killed. No, he'd never seen a smile so big on his first mate's face in the years he'd known her. She reached up weakly to touch the baby's hand, the child's long fingers flexed and wrapped around Zoe's finger tightly.

"I'd introduce you...cept she ain't told me her name yet," Mal teased.

Zoe nodded and swallowed. Every movement seemed to be a struggle for her.

"Namin' her for her grandmothers." Zoe turned her head and kissed the tiny fist around her finger.

"Yeah? That's a right shiny idea. Rose or Dawn gonna be her first?" He asked, using Zoe and Wash's mother's names.

"All three of them." She stated. Mal blinked not understanding. "All three of her grandmothers." Zoe smiled up at him. "Rosemary Dawn."

He'd not expected that, her includin' his own ma, Mary in that list. The tears that had threatened to fall from fear, finally broke through his lashes and streaked slowly down Mal's cheeks unchecked. Tears of joy and relief.

"That's perfect bao bei." He smiled back through the tears and kissed her gently, holding both his girls to him.

-end-


End file.
